covid-19 vaccine: China starts work on plant for mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate: Media

BEIJING: China has begun work on a facility to manufacture its first COVID-19 vaccine candidate that uses messenger RNA ( mRNA ) technology, even though the candidate is still in early-stage clinical trials, state-backed media reported on Monday. The mRNA technology contains instructions for human cells to make proteins that mimic part of the coronavirus, and is used in vaccines from Moderna Inc as well as from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE. Both those vaccines have obtained efficacy data from late-stage, large-scale trials and emergency-use approval from the United States. The plant for Chinaࢀ™s mRNA candidate, which is being jointly…